Larry Csonka Interview

Share.

NFL Street and Dolphin legend talks video games.

By Jon Robinson

Undefeated. That's all you need to say about Larry Csonka and his Miami Dolphins. Forget trophies, rushing records, and stats, you drop the 17-0 on people, flash the ice on your ring, and throw in a joke or two about Garo Yepremian, and what you have is the ultimate respect from the football world.

Add one more accolade to Csonka's resume, though, as he's not only been selected as one of the elite legends in the game NFL Street, he dominates the asphalt as easily as he dominated the gridiron in the 70's.

IGN Sports caught up with the gridiron legend to talk Street, Dolphins, and what happens when you run into a stop sign.

Larry Csonka: When I was contacted by the people at EA, I thought it would be good exposure. I've been out of the game for some 25-30 years, so it's a whole different world, and as long as the game is done in good taste, like I said, it's good exposure. I definitely didn't want to be involved in the criminal element of games or anything like that where it shows people breaking the law. I've heard about video games where they have people stealing cars, robbing banks, and shooting up police, and I stipulated that I didn't want any part of that. Violence in the game is okay as long as it was athletic violence, controlled violence and not mayhem in the streets. I don't want to be affiliated with mob rule or violence in the street other than in a sporting capacity, and it appears to me that NFL Street met those requirements, so we were in cahoots.

IGN Sports: Did you used to play street football?

Larry Csonka: Just as a lot of great basketball players used to shoot hoops in the street, a lot of the football players you see today started their careers playing ball in the streets as well. In grade school we used to play "Kill the Guy with the Ball" and it was mass mayhem. Then when we got a little older, we added a few rules, and while it was supposed to be touch, it usually ended up into pushing and shoving and some form of tackle. In our younger years, we played all of our games in the sandlot, from basketball to baseball to football, whatever we could conjure up, and it was always the street variety because that was the only place available to play.

IGN Sports: What's the worst injury you suffered playing ball in the street?

Larry Csonka: I was backing up to cover a pass and a stop sign got in the way. It got bent and so did I. [laughs]